Make our way through all of this
by Angelica R
Summary: [AU 7x06 No curse] : Ivy is Victoria Belfrey's daughter, and this last one is not liked by Roni. So they shouldn't like each other, right ? (Spoiler : they do.) Ivy/Roni (StepQueen). Pre-relationship. Henry/Jacinda.


Make our way through all of this.

[AU 7x06 No curse] : Ivy is Victoria Belfrey's daughter, and this last one is not liked by Roni. So they shouldn't like each other, right ? (Spoiler : they do.) Ivy/Roni (StepQueen). Pre-relationship. Henry/Jacinda.

The first time they met didn't end good.

It was the day Victoria was supposed to buy Roni' bar, and Ivy was there, because… her mother wanted her to be there, in order to show her how things worked.

When Roni looked at her, Ivy noticed just one thing : the way she was dressed.

It was good and beautiful, but definitely not her style.

But, unlike what was supposed to happen, things didn't end in the way they thought it would.

Roni refused Victoria's offer.

Ivy's mother looked at the other woman, astonished.

But despite what Victoria said, she refused and refused, deciding to fight for what she thought was _her,_ and couldn't be left to Victoria.

Ivy tried to hid the admiration she felt for this woman, who dared to defy Victoria Belfrey, something she couldn't do herself.

But she didn't tell her that, and just stayed pride, and left with her mother.

Roni grinned at her.

Yes, surely, it was not a good beginning.

 _§§§§_

Bars could be a good place to help people get together.

Well, it was what Roni believed, according to her own experience.

And, as she looked at the two people in front of her, she believed it even more.

There was Jacinda Belfrey, Victoria Belfrey's step-daugther, who had nothing to do with the rest of her family.

She was the single mother of a five-years old girl, named Lucy, and owned a Food-Truck with her best friend, Sabine.

She was only twenty when she became pregnant, but wasn't left by her boyfriend.

She did leave him, as their story was over, and then, she succeeded to run away from her evil step-mother.

(In her head, Roni renamed her Cinderella.)

She was a strong and great woman, and Roni was happy that she found someone as Henry Mills.

This one was an Author, who didn't live in Hyperion Heights at first, but who get lost in Seattle, and asked for Roni' help. In this place, he met Jacinda by chance, and they talked a little.

And since this day, strangely, he lost himself frequently in this place, and Roni saw their relationship more and more grow up.

Roni smiled at them.

They would be a good family.

 _§§§§_

If Jacinda was Cinderella, well, Ivy must be the Evil Step sister.

Roni didn't know her, never did, and didn't want to. She had to be just as her mother, right ?

Yes, she knew that it meant nothing to think that way, after all, Jacinda was completely different from her step-mother.

But after all, Ivy never tried to change the way people saw her, or how they thought she was.

The thing is that Roni never imagined the possibility, that maybe, just maybe, Ivy was as unhappy as Jacinda used to be.

That her mother didn't like either, that her life didn't satisfy her.

But how could she ?

She wasn't her friend, she never see her, the only time it happened had been when Roni refused Victoria's offers.

Oh, yeah, it had been a great day.

The young woman never thought about the other Belfrey daughter, except when Jacinda talked about her. She remembered a little girl who used to be good and kind toward her, she remembered almost feeling in a family when her father was still alive.

And then, _it_ happened.

"What ?

\- My father died. And after that, there was worst. Ivy's sister, Anna… She died. Victoria really changed since that moment, not only with me, but also with Ivy. And so did Ivy. I couldn't recognize her any more.

\- And since she is…

\- Terrible, naughty, cruel, and cold. Yes, she is. Even I think this is not the real her."

Roni raised an eyebrow.

"You think she pretends to be someone else ?

\- I'm almost sure. I know her.

\- You know, tried Roni carefully, she may changed.

\- Of course, but… I know that the Ivy I used to know is still there, it's just that… her mom is someone terrible. I lived with her, I can tell you it, so…

\- So you think she isn't as evil as she seems to be ?

\- She is not evil. Just alone, and bitter. Someone I would have become if I didn't escape from Victoria. She is really good at breaking people, you know.

\- Well… whispered Roni, finishing her drink, I won't argue against it."

They were at Roni' bar, talking together, as there were few people present. Jacinda was waiting for Henry to come there, and she seemed to be nervous.

Roni smiled.

"You're okay ?

Jacinda had a fake confident smile.

\- Yes… of course. I'm alright.

\- You don't seem to be."

The other woman sighed.

"I… well… I'm not used to it, right ? I hadn't have many relationships before, except Lucy's father… in a way, so…

\- You're afraid ?

\- Of course I am afraid ! Exclaimed Jacinda, stopping being hypocritical. I mean… what if it didn't work ?"

Roni took her hand. She wasn't really older than Jacinda, but since she owned this bar, she could be considered as a mother for the one who came here. So she tried to comfort her.

"It will be fine, right ?"

By seeing Roni' smile change, Jacinda understood that something changed, and she turned back.

Henry was just there.

 _§§§§_

Roni had been right.

Since this day, she didn't see Jacinda often at her bar, which was logical, and even though she missed her friend, she was happy for her.

And it was one of the reasons why _it_ happened one night.

Usually, Roni used to talk with Jacinda, and then, she closed the bar and went to sleep.

But now, she was alone, and she decided to walk in the streets, with no real purpose.

And she saw her.

Ivy, all alone, in the dark, sitting on a bench, seeming to be lost and desperate.

And she was crying too.

Before her conversation with Jacinda, she would have left her alone, and wouldn't have tried to help her. She wouldn't have thought she deserved it. But she remembered what her friend told her, how according to her Ivy used to be someone good, and how Victoria tried to break her.

Roni felt sympathy for her, realizing how alone and sad the young woman seemed to be.

She sat next to her, and after some seconds, Ivy noticed her presence.

She should have asked her to leave, so she could cry alone, and don't be seen as miserable as she was by the woman her mother hated.

But she really was tired of being alone, and she just wanted to have someone, anyone, who would listen to her. Understand her and would not judge her.

She just _needed_ this.

"Hey, asked Roni, seeming to feel concerned, what's wrong ?

Ivy hiccuped, between her sobbing :

\- I just… I can't stand this any more. My mom, she is… so harsh toward me. I… just want it to stop."

She didn't expect her to understand, she didn't expect _Roni_ to understand, after all, she just cared about Jacinda, not her.

Slowly, as if she didn't want to scare her, Roni took her in her arms, and embraced her. It made Ivy cry even more, almost in a hysterical way. They didn't talk, and Roni just let her cry, until Ivy calmed herself.

 _§§§§_

They were in Roni' bar now, as she didn't want to let her go, not as she wasn't herself.

They talked, for hours, Ivy saying how terrible her mother was, how she herself always played the villain of the story, and that she didn't want any more.

How her mother trapped her, and the fact that she just wanted her mother to love her, even by knowing it wouldn't happen.

And Roni listened, didn't judge her, just listened.

"Alright Ivy… you have to free yourself from her.

\- I can't, right ? I already tried, but it didn't work, and… where would I go ?

\- Jacinda did this."

Ivy's look that she gave her was so empty that it froze Roni. It was as if she already heard that.

"Yes… Jacinda… The _so_ - _perfect_ Jacinda, she said with irony, jealousy, and sadness. So brave and courageous, she is not the one who wouldn't have succeeded to say to mother that she preferred women to men, she whispered, her tears seeming to come back.

\- Hey ! Said Roni, noticing the confession, but making no remarks about it. It's okay, right ? Just… it wasn't against you. You… you can do it, ok ? I was just saying that it could be done, that you could be brave enough and free yourself. I was not telling you that you valued less than Jacinda."

Ivy, crying again, gave her a sad smile.

"Thank you Roni, but… I don't think I can."

 _§§§§_

Ivy clearly didn't believe in herself.

Roni realized it quickly, as she learned more and more to know who Ivy really was. On the surface, she seemed to be a bitch who didn't care about anyone, and just liked hurting people.

But it wasn't true.

She was clever, interesting, and nice.

Oh, and beautiful too, as Roni finally noticed it.

(She payed more attention to it, as she wasn't focused any more on Ivy's attitude.)

"Ivy, she began again, if you want to be free, you must go from her. Leave her.

\- Why do you want to help me ? The other woman asked. You don't like me.

Roni sighed.

\- That… that's not true. I had no interest in you, but now, I… I think you're more than you seem to be. And I want to help you for that. Even if, to be sincere, I also want to do this against your mother, she muttered to herself."

Ivy burst into laughter, a true laugh, and Roni told herself that she never seemed to be so beautiful before, with a true light of joy in her eyes.

"You can stay here, if you want, she proposed her, without thinking to it."

Ivy refused, of course, and left.

 _§§§§_

She came back and accepted three weeks after.

She found her own way, escaped from her mother, just as Jacinda did.

And now, she was living with Roni, in her bar, in fact, and things were good.

Oh, and she fell in love with Roni.

Detail.

 _§§§§_

She couldn't have done something else. It was _Roni,_ right ? The first person who tried to help her, to save her from her mother, who _did_ it.

So yes, of course she fell.

She fell for her kindness, her sarcastic tone, her look (yeah, her point of view about that finally changed), her beauty and other many things.

And Roni ?

She fell too.

For the same reasons, in fact, most of them, as they were pretty similar to each other.

Alone, and lost.

(Even though Ivy was more broken than her.)

 _§§§§_

It was Henry who the first pointed that there was something.

"So… tell me… how are the things between the two of you ?"

Roni raised an eyebrow, not seeing the point.

"What do you mean Henry ? She asked with a smile.

\- Well… you and Ivy, of course, the author answered."

Roni's smile disappeared immediately.

"What ?"

Henry frowned.

"Wait… aren't you… aren't you together ?

\- No ! Were are not ! What made you think this ?

\- You live in the same home, you're always together, and you seem pretty close, so I thought that… I am sorry if I misunderstood anything, I..."

Jacinda, who just arrived next to him, rolled her eyes.

"I told you not to tell them, she said. That it was better to let them see things by themselves… to let them time.

\- What are you two talking about ? Asked Roni.

\- About your feelings for Ivy, of course.

\- Which feelings ?

\- The fact that you love her."

Henry's affirmation provoked different reactions, Roni looked at him with astonishment, and Jacinda sighed.

"You're not subtle Henry.

\- I am not in love with Ivy ! Protested Roni."

The two other people looked at her, seeming to tell her : "You're really not credible, and everyone saw the truth."

Roni rolled her eyes.

"Alright, maybe that… _maybe_."

Henry and Jacinda just smiled to her.

"You were terribly long at admitting it, right ? Said Jacinda, almost laughing.

\- Oh shut up ! Answered Roni with a false annoyed sigh."

 _§§§§_

Some days passed, and no one talked about it, until Ivy came to see her, with a nervous attitude.

"Hey Ivy, are you alright ?

\- Yes, Roni, sure, I am."

A strange and weird silence settled between them, until Ivy dared to break it.

"I… wanted to… invite you, one day. For… dinner or something else, I don't know, I mean, I know that we don't know each other since a long time, but I thought that…

\- Is it a… date ? Asked Roni, seeing the other woman was loosing herself in her words, because of her stress.

The young woman nodded, with a shy smile.

\- Yes… I… Jacinda suggested it to me, in fact, she… almost ordered me to come here and ask you, as I didn't dare, and… so… what's your answer ?"

Roni looked at her, and she smiled.

"I would love it."

And she then felt happy that she was able to see Ivy Belfrey's mask, and to see then the real her.

Because it worth it.


End file.
